Guidewire and method for surgical procedures

Abstract

A surgical guide wire or K-wire and method of use are provided. The K-wire, or guide wire, has opposite end portions and a shank portion in between. One end portion has a deformable end portion that, once outside of a confining guide passage, can be deformed to present a projected forward facing area that is larger than the transverse cross section of the K-wire, or guide wire, while in the passage. The increased area will provide increased resistance to additional forward axial movement into the surgical site.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A guide wire for introduction of surgical implants and surgical instruments to a surgical site within a body, the guide wire comprising: a manipulative end, a center portion and an operative end; the operative end portion rigidly attached to distal face plane end of said center portion, said operative end attachable to said surgical site, said operative end portion having two helically wound wires extending around a central core, wherein proximal end of said central core rigidly attached to said distal face plane end of said center portion, said two helically wound wires extending outwardly with respect to said core for engaging bone tissue within said surgical site, wherein said two helically wound wires attached at a distal end thereof to distal end of said central core, and said two helically wound wires rigidly attached at a proximal end thereof to said distal face plane end of said center portion, whereby said manipulative end may be rotated in a first direction for engaging said guide wire to a bone and wherein said manipulative end may be rotated in a second direction to release said guide wire from a bone. 
     
     
       2. The guide wire of  claim 1  wherein said at least one ridge extends helically about said central core. 
     
     
       3. The guide wire of  claim 2  wherein said center portion of said guide wire is constructed from a flexible material. 
     
     
       4. The guide wire of  claim 3  wherein said center portion of said guide wire is constructed from a memory metal alloy. 
     
     
       5. The guide wire of  claim 4  wherein said memory metal alloy is a super-elastic material. 
     
     
       6. The guide wire of  claim 1  wherein the operative end portion is constructed from a memory metal alloy. 
     
     
       7. The guide wire of  claim 6  wherein the memory metal alloy includes Nitinol. 
     
     
       8. The guide wire of  claim 1  wherein said operative end portion is constructed of a resiliently deformable spring material. 
     
     
       9. The guide wire of  claim 1  wherein said operative end portion has a deformable portion made of a plastically deformable material. 
     
     
       10. A guide wire for use in a surgical procedure, the guide wire comprising: a manipulative end, a center portion and an operative end, said operative end rigidly attached to distal face plane end of said center portion and including a helical thread, said manipulative end rotatable in a first direction for engaging said helical thread to a surgical site and said manipulative end rotatable in a second direction to release said helical thread from said surgical site, wherein said helical thread includes two helically wound wires attached at a distal end thereof to a distal end of a central core member, wherein proximal end of said central core member rigidly attached to said distal face plane end of said center portion; said two helically wound wires rigidly attached at a proximal end thereof to said distal face plane end of said center portion. 
     
     
       11. The guide wire for use in surgical procedures of  claim 10  wherein said helical thread is deformable. 
     
     
       12. The guide wire of  claim 10  wherein said center portion of said guide wire is constructed from a flexible material. 
     
     
       13. The guide wire of  claim 12  wherein said flexible material is a memory metal alloy. 
     
     
       14. The guide wire of  claim 13  wherein said memory metal alloy is a super-elastic material. 
     
     
       15. The guide wire of  claim 10  wherein the operative end portion is constructed from a memory metal alloy. 
     
     
       16. The guide wire of  claim 15  wherein the memory metal alloy includes Nitinol.